Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तस्य त्वाकारभावज्ञ: शल्य: समितिशोभन:

Transliteration

tasya tv ākārabhāvajñaḥ śalyaḥ samitiśobhanaḥ

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: Namun Śalya—mahir membaca tanda-tanda lahiriah dan kecenderungan batin seseorang, serta tersohor dalam pertembungan bala tentera—memahami keadaan dan sikapnya. Baris ini menegaskan bahawa di tengah perang, kepekaan terhadap keadaan jiwa orang lain dapat membentuk nasihat, strategi, dan beban moral kata-kata.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• आकारभावज्ञः: knower of (his) appearance and disposition
• आकारभावज्ञः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आकारभावज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शल्यः: Shalya
• शल्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शल्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• समितिशोभनः: splendid in battle
• समितिशोभनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समितिशोभन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Śalya

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores discernment: a capable leader or counselor can read both outward behavior and inner emotion. In a moral context, such insight can be used either to guide wisely and restrain harm, or to manipulate—so the ethical burden lies in how this knowledge is applied.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Śalya as a battle-renowned figure who is perceptive about another person’s visible signs and inner mood. This sets up Śalya’s role in assessing the situation and responding—often through counsel or pointed speech—within the tense dynamics of the battlefield.